10 Things to Do in Havana, Cuba

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I spent a week in Havana with a couple of friends, and it's now one of my favorite places I've ever been. The people are warm, the culture is alive in a way that's hard to describe until you're standing in the middle of it, the architecture is extraordinary, and the history — layered and complicated and fascinating — is present in every street you walk down.

If you're still working out the logistics of getting there as an American, I've covered all of that in my guide to traveling to Cuba as an American. This post is about what to actually do once you arrive.

1. Start with a Walking Tour of Old Havana

This is my first recommendation in any new city, and Havana is no exception. A good walking tour orients you, introduces you to the history and architecture, and inevitably points you toward things you'd never have found on your own. Look for options on Airbnb Experiences or TripAdvisor, or do what we did and arrange a private guide — it was surprisingly affordable and absolutely worth it. Our guide was organized through ViaHero, which connects you with local Cuban guides who can also help arrange transportation and day trips throughout your stay.

2. Ride in a Classic Car

Classic American cars from the 1940s and 50s are everywhere in Havana — brilliantly painted, lovingly maintained, and utterly beautiful in a way you simply cannot find anywhere else. Most can be hired by the hour to take you around sights that are harder to cover on foot. You can find options on Airbnb Experiences and TripAdvisor, ask your casa host for a recommendation, or simply walk to the Capitol building and find a driver among the many retro cars parked there. It's one of those experiences that sounds touristy on paper and turns out to be genuinely magical. A lot of the professional photographers (mentioned in 8 below) will also take photos of you with a retro car (you can even request a specific color).

3. Find the Best Mojito (or Daiquiri) in Town

Mojitos and daquiris are like the national drinks of Cuba and can be found almost everywhere in Havana — both in classic flavors, as well as delicious alternatives such as pineapple, mango, strawberry, and many others. Make sure you try the local fruit called guanábana in a daquiri or smoothie (you may have heard it called “soursop” in English, but most likely, you haven’t had it before). Both drinks are rum-based, since rum is the popular liquor produced in Cuba. A visit to a distillery could be fun, too! (There’s a Havana Club tasting room in Old Havana, for example.)

4. Try All the Croquettes and Ceviches

Croquettes are deep-fried balls, usually filled some sort of delicious meat-based filling — and ceviche is a “raw” seafood dish that has been “cooked” in lime juice. Almost all restaurants serve both. I knew croquettes were a popular Cuban dish before I went, so I wasn’t surprised to find them on every menu (usually made with fish, chicken, or ham and cheese). I didn’t realize that ceviche was so popular in Cuba, however — usually with fish and/or octopus. Our favorite ceviche was at El Cocinero and at Paco’s Mar — and croquettes probably at Paladar Las Mercaderes — but you could probably just do a croquette and ceviche crawl of the entire city in search of your favorites. Paired with those mojitos and daiquiris!

5. Go Dancing

The music and dance culture in Havana is one of the things that makes the city unlike anywhere else. If you want to learn, private and group salsa classes are easy to find online. For live music and dancing, Casa de la Música is the classic choice. For something more like a proper night out, Fábrica de Arte Cubano (FAC) is a one-of-a-kind cultural venue — part nightclub, part art gallery, part live music space — that gets very busy on weekends. Arrive before 10pm to avoid a long wait. For something smaller and more local, King Bar is where we ended up one night, dancing on their little floor until late, and it was one of the highlights of the trip.

6. Go Hunting for Doors, Murals, and Street Art

This sounds simple, but it's one of the most enjoyable things you can do in Old Havana — especially if you love photography. Almost every block has at least one building with something extraordinary on it: a painted door in a color you've never seen used on a building before, a mural of a gorilla smoking a cigar, a Cuban flag rendered in mosaic tile. Keep an eye out for the "2+2=5" slogan — a reference to Orwell's 1984 that appears all over the city once you start looking for it. It's politically loaded and quietly everywhere.

7. Find a Rooftop & Stay Awhile

Havana gets genuinely hot in the middle of the day, and the best antidote is finding a rooftop with a breeze and a cold drink. In the heart of Old Havana, El Del Frente is a lovely option. A little further south near the San José market, Yarini has a beautiful rooftop and — a rare bonus in Cuba — reliable WiFi. Both take reservations. The second-floor balconies overlooking the main squares are touristy and priced accordingly, but they do offer exceptional people-watching if that's what you're after.

8. Hire a Local Photographer

Unless you have a dedicated photographer in your group, getting good photos of everyone together on a trip is always a challenge. I try to book a local photographer for a one to two hour shoot whenever I travel, and in Havana it was especially worthwhile given how visually extraordinary everything is. I found our photographer through Airbnb Experiences — a two-hour private session for $150. One piece of advice: be specific about what you want. Show examples from their portfolio, specify whether you prefer horizontal or vertical shots, zoomed in versus wide, architecture-focused versus candid. The more precise you are upfront, the happier you'll be with the results.

9. Take a Day Trip to Viñales

This was one of the best things we did on the entire trip. Viñales Valley is about two hours from Havana — a stunning landscape of limestone hills, tobacco farms, and horseback trails where the pace of life feels completely different from the city. Most people book a group tour through Airbnb Experiences, but our ViaHero guide arranged a private day for us: a classic-car taxi to and from, a private horseback ride through the valley, a stop at a small local spot to try rum with honey straight from the comb, and lunch on a family veranda with some of the best Cuban food I ate on the whole trip. If you can swing a private version, do it.

10. Plan Ahead for Trinidad

I didn't make it to Trinidad on this trip — it's a four-hour drive from Havana each way, so it really requires an overnight stay — but it's at the top of my list for next time. Trinidad is one of the best-preserved colonial towns in the Caribbean, with cobblestone streets, colorful buildings, and a neo-baroque central square that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, along with the nearby Valle de los Ingenios. If you have the time, arrange a taxi in advance and book a night or two there. It's worth building the trip around.

Ready to Plan Your Cuba Trip?

Havana is one of those cities that stays with you long after you leave. As a certified travel advisor, I'd love to help you plan every detail — from finding the right casa particular to arranging a private guide and day trips. Reach out here and let's put it together.